RECIPROCITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1043, 4 February 1911, Page 5

RECIPROCITY.

HOSTILE OPINION GROWING IN CANADA. "NOT THE ONLY GRANARY." By Telerrapli—Press Association- CopyTieht. .London, February 2. The Ottawa correspondent of "Tho Times" reports that the feeling of tho Conservatives is all against the Cana-dian-American agreemont, and tho hostile opinion in the country is gaining steadily. The "Daily Express" remarks that Canada , is not tho only granary of. tho world. It enlarges on tho prospect of Australia's' automatically succeeding to Canada's position if it should ho vacated. PROSPECTS OF RATIFICATION. (Rec. February 3, 11.45 p.m.) London, February 3. The "Times" Washington correspondent states that tho outlook for tho agreement in Congress is obscure, hut the prospects of ratification of the reciprocity proposals havo not got worse. The President is anxious for their ratification, and public opinion generally is in their favour, but strong sectional interests are opposing the agreement, and its adoption depends on tho Administration's success in organising the forces of the popular will against the politicians. Tho consensus of opinion among skilled observers is that possibly tho Houso and not the Senate will pass tho measure this session, and that President Taft will call an extra session for tho Senate's benefit.

CANADA AND THE EMPIRE. (Rec. Feb. 4, 1.7 a.m.) Ottawa, February 3. The Premier of Manitoba declares that where the reciprocity sentiment is supposed to bo strongest tho agreement is denounced as tending to tho destruction of tho connection of Canada with tho Empiro.

SPEECH BY SIR WILFRID LAURIER. In reply to an important deputation in December on the tariff question, Sir Wilfrid Laurier quoted one of the statements that the farmers of the .West had accumulated wealth aggregating 1,500,000,000 dollars. He thought that if they had done this in less tlian twenty years, existing conditions could not bo very adverse. He then proceeded"l am happy to say that at this moment wo are negotiating with tho American authorities to do this very thing which you ask for—to improvo our commercial relations with our neighbours. But I must say to you that this is not so easy as you may suppose. There is in this country, in some sections of tho community, a very strong opposition to any change in our present commercial relations with our neighbours. I think that if wo can improve tho relations in tho direction of having more markets for natural products and farm products tho country will be immensely benefited. Let us speak with perfect frankness hero—and 1 would not speak otherwise—any change in our trade relations with regard to manufactured products is a more difficult matter. Thero arc difficultios in this which no Government can ignore; and we are not ignoring them. But, at all events, we see our goal, and in this our goal is very much in yonr own direction. But there is "pile view which you have oppressed which it is the object of the Government to carry out, and on which the Govern'nient^wilKrespond to-your-views in full as you have expressed them. That is, whatever wo do with our neighbours, whatever we may .be ablo to accomplish with them,, nothing that wo do shall in any way impair or affect the British preference. That remains a cardinal featuro of 'our policy."